Newark peaceful protest against racism turns into dance party

NEWARK - A peaceful protest in downtown Newark turned into a dance party on Tuesday evening, briefly including a Newark police officer.

Following the death of George Floyd in an incident involving Minneapolis police, cities across the nation have seen days of protests against police brutality and racism. A peaceful protest was also held in downtown Newark on Sunday afternoon.

More:150+ in Newark join in peaceful protest against racism after George Floyd death

Co-organizer Joshua Jenkins, of Newark, said they organized the protest because the United States has a problem and they want to see unity.

"We don't want to see because this person's white, they're over there and this person's black, they're over there. We want to see everybody together," Jenkins said. "The senseless murders of black people is just getting out of control. All the other communities - a lot of them - have been rioting and destroying their own communities. I don't want to see that happen. We just want change."

Protesters began arriving in downtown Newark as early as 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, with a group of over a dozen holding signs on a roundabout. A group who identified themselves as Ohio Patriots soon appeared in military gear with firearms. Skylar Steward told The Advocate they had traveled across Ohio to several locations to diffuse situations and had arrived in Newark to ensure there was no rioting and no harm to the community.

By the height of the event, hundreds were in downtown Newark.

Newark couple Nathaniel and Alysha Mcfall said they joined the protest because they want to see a better world for their children to grow up in. Being mixed race, they said they grew up around white and black people. Nathaniel Mcfall said an injustice against one race is an injustice against them all.

Britney Smitley, 31, of Heath, said white people need to stop elevating their experiences and opinions in America, and instead start listening. She said she thought racism was dead in America until she experienced it with her students.

Anthony Tamburin, 27, of Newark, said he grew up into white supremacy, but as he's gotten older, he realized humans all bleed the same color and he's tired of seeing people getting killed on the news. Tamburin said he was at the protest in Columbus on Saturday, calling it a beautiful sight. He added he hopes Newark's takeaway from the protest is that people learn from their mistakes.

The group was soon joined by dozens, many of whom carried signs reading things like "am I next?", "black lives can't matter until all lives matter", and "mama told me she never saw color, and neither should you."

One group of people toted a sign reading "all lives matter." Autumn Grigsby, 17, of Newark, who carried the sign, said she's advocating that all lives matter and not all cops are bad. Grigsby said Tuesday's protest was her first. She said her decision to become a military police officer, and having family who are police, prompted her to attend.

"I support all lives. I just think that excluding it only to black lives makes it racist," she said. "It's not a race war and everyone's lives matter, even police."

During the protest, co-organizers spoke to the crowd at a microphone at the Licking County Courthouse steps. Crowd members who felt compelled went forward to share their thoughts as well.

A dozen individuals holding signs supporting the Black Lives Matter movement attempted to cover Grigsby's sign and another individual's whose read "Do black lives matter to blacks? Black people killed black people more often." Ohio Patriot members, organizers, and local law enforcement quickly calmed the crowd.

Niall Thomas, 20, of Newark, said having grown up in the area, he didn't know that level of support existed in Licking County, but he was glad to see it.

"Growing up black in America is a scary thing at times. After the black man who was shot running, I don't even feel like I can run around in my neighborhood sometimes...Crossing the street, maybe the bill I have looks fake - these things should not be reasons people die," he told the crowd, prompting cheering.

"It's ridiculous...Black lives matter. Black men matter. Black women matter. Black trans-men matter. Black trans-women matter... I'm not saying we matter more than anybody else. I just want to matter as much as everybody else," he continued.

At one point during the protest, the crowd, including several members of Newark Division of Police and the Licking County Sheriff's Office, knelt to a knee in a moment of silence for Floyd. Many crowd members raised a fist into the air in solidarity.

The group was led on a march around the square as they held their signs, chanting "black lives matter" and "George Floyd."

Then the protest turned into a dance party with Newark Police Officer Steven Carles briefly joining in.

Newark Police Chief Barry Connell told The Advocate their agency had contingency plans should some outside antagonists show up, but they were there to support the first and second amendments.

"Our job is to protect our citizens - all of them, so that's what we intend to do," Connell said.

Licking County Sheriff Randy Thorp said their agency was there to ensure everyone was safe.

"So far everyone's expressing their opinions and their beliefs and they're being very respectful to each other and to everyone else that's here," he said.

With law enforcement perched atop buildings around the courthouse and officers on the ground, both agencies had prepared after rumors on social media alleged busloads of people outside the community were going to the protest.

More:Newark preps for possible protest downtown Tuesday evening

The protest ended around 8:30 p.m. While much of the crowd dispersed, some remained on one of the roundabouts and a few lined the sidewalks, drawing many honks of support from passersby.